Prison Therapeutic Community Treatment for Female Offenders: Profiles and Preliminary Findings for Mental Health and Other Variables (Crime, Substance Use and HIV Risk).

Psychotherapy

April 2021

Full Citation

Sacks, J., Sacks, S., Mckendrick, K., Banks, S., Schoeneberger, M., Hamilton, Z., Stommel, J., & Shoemaker, J. (2008). Prison Therapeutic Community Treatment for Female Offenders: Profiles and Preliminary Findings for Mental Health and Other Variables (Crime, Substance Use and HIV Risk). Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 46(3-4), 233–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509670802143680

Abstract

This random assignment study compared women in a prison Therapeutic Community (TC) program with those in a cognitive-behavioral intervention. Over two thirds of study subjects received a lifetime diagnosis of severe mental disorder, nearly one-half received a diagnosis of PTSD, and virtually all reported exposure to trauma. Preliminary analysis (n = 314) found significantly better six-month post-prison outcomes for the TC group on measures of mental health, criminal behavior and HIV-risk behavior. These findings suggest the short-term effectiveness of prison TC treatment for female offenders with substance use disorders, and underscore the importance of adapting treatment to address mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)